Sail structure



A ril 20 1926. 1,581,848

R. MACRAE SOIL STRUCTURE Filed July 15 1924 jhzperzZbz 1 3042673569? M07226 Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES noDEaIcK MACRAE, orcHIoAeo, ILLINOIS.

SAIL STRUCTURE.

Application filed July 15, 1924. Serial No. 726,120.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RODERICK Mixonnn, a subject of the King of England, and a resident ofChicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sail Structures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to. improved sail structures particularly adaptable for use as a propulsion source on freight vessels. My invention may be considered as an improvement over the sail construction disclosed in my Patent No. 1,304,? 88 of May 27, 1919.

One of the important objects of my in vention is to provide interchangeable sail units from which a sail of any size can be quickly built up. Anotherv important ob ject is to provide an improved hoisting and supporting arrangement for the sails for eliminating the use of guide blocks or hoops on the mast so that the mast will be free for the application of stays .for preventing buckling or bending under heavy service.

Another important object of the invention is to provide yards. in the form of trusses preferably of steel for increasing ,the strength. of the yards and. making them very much, lighter than the heavy wooden yards heretofore used. V r 1 Another importantobject of the invention is to so interconnect. the yards of a sail structure that theymay be raised or lowered independently of thesail units secured thereto and without straining such sail units. Another object is to regularly space the yards and to have them of uniform construction and equal length so that sail units of a single size may be appliedto the yards and all distortions andfstrain's kept therefrom by the yard interconnection. mechanism. The above and other features of my invention are incorporated in the structure disclosed on' the accompanying drawing of which Fig. .1 is a front elevational view of a sail structure, Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view on plane 33Fig.2.

On the drawing the mast M hassecured to its front side a guide or travelerbeam 10 which may be of T-sliaped cross section as shown and which may besecured by means of screws orb'olts 1L The yardsare in the form of trusses T and as shown ,niay comprise sidebars or tubes. 12 and 13'with connecting lattice work 14, and tl'i'esetrusses.

slide fittings have the deflected ends 20 which receivev the outer flanges of the traveler beam 10 and thus the slide fittings are anchored to the beam but are free to slide vertically thereon to guidethe vertical-movement of the yards while at the same time the. yards are free to swing in horizontal planes about the pivotpins 19. The yards are. spaced the proper distance apart in parallel relationship by chain lengths 21 and engaging between the outer and inner side bars of the various yard trusses, and to adjust the length of the chains turnbuckles 23 may be inserted. Thesechain links of which two vertical rows are shown are positioned with reference to the center of gravity of the trusses to best support them and relieve them of strains.

Secured to the mast above the sail structure is a fitting 24: supporting a sheave 25 around which travels the cable 26 which at its upper end is secured by branches 27 to the upper yard truss preferably at the upper ends of the vertical chain rows, and by means of this cable the sail structure can be raised or lowered. On the drawing I have shown the cable adapted for manual opei atlon and have shown a cleat 28 for. fastening the cable after ad ustment, it being understood however that, an arrangement could be used for. the raising or lowering of the sail structure as shown in my patent above referred to where electric motors are .used. a

In my improved arrangement the sail 'unit supporting structure is raised or lowered independently of thesail units v29 which I changeable. I

can be made by chain or belt 36 with a suit Y able driving source. I have shown manual means for turning the sprocket wheel comprising a standard 87 supporting a sprocket pinion 38 which receives the belt 36 and is rotatable by means of a. crank 39. It is understood however that motor oper- 0 'ated driving means can be provided as disclosed in my patent above referred to. The sail structure is raised by means: of the cable 26, the yard trusses above the lowermost. truss then assuming their respective horizontal positions with the chain lengths taut, and the sail units will then provide the necessary sail area. By turning the sprocket wheel 35 the lower yard will turn with the hub 32 and the upper yards will swing on the pivots 19 so that the sail struc ture can set for tacking or other sailing conditioris.

By my improved arrangement hoops or other guideblocks for traveling along the mast are eliminated and consequently the mast is free for the application of stay cables 40 for securely anchoring the mast and preventing buckling thereof. The traveler beam 11 which is preferably of steel will also add great strength to the mast and permit a much lighter mast to be used.

I'Vhen it is desired to furl the sail the cable 26 is slacked sutficiently to permit any number of the yard trusses to be secured together, the rectangular sail units then readily folding themselves in fiat condition between the trusses. When the entire sail structure is lowered the trusses will lay in a vertical row on the lowermost truss and it will be impossible for the sail units to become tangled but they will readily unturl when the said structure is again raised. The sides of the sail structure can also be readily increased by addingyard trusses and sail units. The tension of the sail units can be adjusted for by means or" the turn buckle so that they will always produce the most efiicient sailing conditions.

I thus produce a light, strong, and efiicient sail structure which can be quickly, readily and accurately manipulated during sailing and in which the sail units are subjected to no strains or distortions and are required to resist only the wind pressure. By means of my improved sail structure lighter and stronger mast structure will result which can be efiicienty stayed against buckling. I

do not desire to be limited to the exact construction arrangement and operation shown and described as modificat ons can be made which will still come within the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

1. In sail structures of the class described, the combination of a mast, a traveler beam secured thereto, supporting fittings anchored to but adapted to slide longitudinally along said traveler beam, yards pivoted to said fittings to swing in horizontal planes, sail units secured to and between said yards to form sail surface, and means for raising and lowering said yards.

2. In sail structures of the class described, the combination oi a mast, a traveler beam secured to said mast, fittings adapted to slide along said beam, yards pivoted to said fittings, and a sail secured to said yards.

3. In sail structures of the class described, the combination of a mast, a traveler beam secured to said mast and having retaining flanges, fittings retained by said flanges to said beams but adapted to travel longitudinally thereon, yards secured to said fittings, units between said yards and secured thereto, and means for raising and lowering said yards.

l. In sail structures of the class described, the combination of a mast, a traveler beam secured to said mast and having retaining flanges, fittings retained by said flanges but free to travel longitudinally along said beams, yards pivoted to said fittings to swing in horizontal planes, sail units extending between and secured to said yards, tension lengths between said yards for taking the weight thereof from said sail units, and means for raising and lowering said "fittings and thereby said yards to spread or lower said sail units.

5. In sail structures of the class described, the combination of a mast, a traveler beam secured thereto, fittings retained on .said beams but free to travel longitudinally there-- on, yard str ctures pivoted to said fittings to swing in horizontal planes, a lower yard structure, a fitting pivoting said lower yard structure to said mast to rotate thereon, sail units between said yard structures, means for raising and lowering the yard structures above said lower yard structure, and means for swinging said lower yard structure and with it the other yard structures.

6. In sail structures of the class described, the combination of a mast, a traveler beam secured to said mast, fittings retained on said beams but free to travel longitudinally thereon, yard structures in the form of trusses secured to said fittings, sail units between said yard structures, and means for raising and lowering said yard structures.

7. In sail structures of the class described, the combination of a mast, a fitting rotatable on the lower end of said mast but restrained against vertical'moveinent, a lower yard structure supportable by said fitting, a

yard structure supporting fitting whereby to i turn said lower yard structure supporting fitting whereby to turn said lower yard structure and to swing the other yard structures, and means for raising and'lowering the yard structures above said lower yard structure.

8. In sail structures the combination of a mast, a lower yard structure, means restraining said yard structure against vertical movement but for adapting it for horizontal swing, a traveler beam secured to said mast above said lower yard structure, fittings slidable along said traveler beams, upper yard structures pivoted to said fittings to swing in horizontal planes,sail units between said yard structures, means for swinging said lower yard structure and thereby said upper yard structures, and means for raising and lowering said upper yard structures:

9. In sail structures, the combination of a mast, a traveler beam secured to said mast, fitting slidable along said beam, yards in the form of steel trusses pivoted to said fittings, and sail units between said yards.

10. In sail structures of the class described, the combination of a mast structure, yards in the form of trusses comprising trout and rear bars and interconnecting lattice work, means on each yard for connecting its rear bar for sliding engagement with said mast, cables connecting the front bars and the rear bars of the several yards for supporting them, sail units between said yards, and means for raising and lowering said yards.

1.1. In sail construction, the combination of a mast, yard structures supported to slide along said mast and'to rotate horizontally relative thereto, sail units between said yards, means for raising and lowering said yards, and means for rotating said yards,

each yard being in the form of a truss comprising front and rear bars and intercon- RODERICK MAORAE. 

